A Special Place (2021) is an exploration of adolescence and an investigation of place in response to circulating global issues. During the pandemic, I moved back to my childhood home in North Western Ontario and began retracing and archiving the rhythms of my environment through listening, wandering, and creating as a way to make sense of the present circumstance. 

 

As children, we build forts to escape the overwhelming realities of adulthood and devise spaces for reflection and exploration. In a world overrun with violence, rising temperatures and a pandemic which has left many of us feeling a lack of control in our lives, it's no surprise that many of us seek an escape and return to childhood instincts to make sense of it all. Through this experience, I have learned the importance of maintaining curiosity and playfulness into “adulthood”, and the vitality of finding and creating escapes as a way to reflect on what is causing the initial retreat.  

 

Exhibiting this forged space in four distinct locations suggests that an escape can exist anywhere. When entering the space, there is immediate relief as the sun illuminates through the warm eco-dyed patches. The resemblance to stained glass softens the space with a sensation of tranquility and clarity. The environment outside dissolves and all that filters through are the exterior sounds. This is a space to re-energize and reflect, and once the body is fully nourished, you may re-emerge into the world with a new perspective.